Not more than a few weeks after I completed a song based upon Psalm 32, my long-time lyrical collaborator, Doug Gay, sent me a beautiful rendering of the same Psalm. “Well,” I thought, “you can never get enough of Psalm 32.”
Whereas “Blessed Is the One” has an almost Middle Eastern groove, “When I Kept Silent” is an understated Celtic ballad.
Give a listen to both versions and let me know what you think. Is there one you like better as a listener? One you’d be more likely to use in your congregation? Do you hear different nuances of Psalm 32’s message in the two songs?
1. Happy are all those whose sins are removed.
Blessed are all souls at home in God’s love.
Happy are all folk whose conscience is clear.
Blessed are all those whose hearts are sincere.
When I kept silent I wasted away,
burdened by guilt every night, every day.
When I acknowledged my sin to the Lord,
I was forgiven, I was restored.
2. Come then, you faithful, and pray now to God
when trouble rises all round like a flood.
God is your shelter and your hiding place.
God will surround you with strength and with grace.
3. God says, “I’ll teach you the ways you should choose.”
God says, “I’ll show you the paths you should use.
Walk in my wisdom, my joy will be yours.
Trust me and follow, my mercy is sure.”